VCU Business

Paul C. Harris is executive vice president and chief sustainability and compliance officer at HII, America’s largest military shipbuilder and global all-domain defense technologies provider.

Harris oversees the company’s ongoing efforts to formalize and mature its strategy-driven environmental, social and governance program, in addition to overseeing matters of compliance. As HII’s corporate vice president and chief compliance and privacy officer, he is responsible for working with leaders within the law department and throughout the enterprise to advance HII’s compliance strategy and execution objectives. Additionally, Harris manages a team of experienced compliance and privacy counsel, which provide legal advice and guidance to senior management.

Prior to joining HII, Harris was senior vice president at his alma mater, Hampton University, where he had responsibility for maximizing enterprise operational performance in key departments. Prior, he held several positions of increasing authority and responsibility in corporate law departments, including assistant general counsel and vice president for ethics, compliance and privacy at Sodexo; corporate counsel at Northrop Grumman; senior manager (Corporate Compliance) at EY; and senior counsel and director of enterprise compliance at Raytheon.

Before joining Raytheon, Harris served as deputy assistant attorney general (Civil Division) at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led a team of 175 DOJ attorneys and oversaw all tort litigation on behalf of the United States. He also served as deputy associate attorney general where he assisted the associate attorney general in developing and advising on policies relating to civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters, such as the National AMBER Alert coordinator role for the DOJ. President George W. Bush also appointed Harris to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation advisory board, which protects the retirement security of over 35 million Americans in single-employer and multiemployer pension plans.

His federal service was preceded by his public service at the state level, where he was twice elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Harris was appointed by Congress to serve on the Federal Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, from 1998-2000.

Harris began his legal career as a litigation associate with the international law firm McGuire Woods. Prior to law school, he served on active duty, as a military intelligence officer, with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division and later in the Individual Ready Reserves, achieving the rank of captain.

Harris earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Hampton University cum laude in 1986 and his Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School in 1995. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.

When Will Groves became President and CEO of New Horizon Bank (NHB) in January 2024, he immediately set the Bank on a path of transformational growth. In his first eighteen months as CEO, total assets have expanded by 50% to $220 million, deposits have grown 45% to $185 million, and the workforce has doubled from 26 to more than 50 employees.

Under his leadership, NHB has expanded into Hampton Roads with an office in Norfolk, established a presence in Northern Virginia, relocated its corporate offices to Henrico County, and added loan production office in Richmond. The Bank is also modernizing operations, building technology, and pursuing an ambitious long-term growth plan with a goal of surpassing $1 billion in assets.

Will is known for leading with hustle, grit, and a relentless drive to build something better—for clients, employees, and the communities NHB serves. He and his team are reimagining what a community bank can be: more personal, more responsive, and more forward-looking, while creating a culture where execution, clarity, and growth mindset are non-negotiables.

Before becoming CEO, Will held executive leadership roles in credit, risk, and investments with community banks in Richmond, Maryland, and West Virginia. He began his career as a risk management examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Will holds an undergraduate degree from West Virginia University, a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

7:30–8:00 a.m.
Check-in, breakfast and networking

8:00–8:45 a.m.
Keynote speaker presentation

8:45–9:00 a.m.
Q&A and networking

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